Events
Events
Summer Solstice Party
Saturday, 21 June 2008, 1:00 p.m.
Vernon, Connecticut
The fifth annual Connecticut American Atheist Solstice Party was another great success. We had over thirty people this year. Once again, it was a great opportunity for Atheists from different parts of the state to meet each other.
Talk at New Britain UU Church
Sunday, 13 April 2008, 10:30 a.m.
New Britain, Connecticut
I gave a talk at the Unitarian Universalist Church in New Britain this Sunday, the 13th of April, at 10:30 a.m. entitled, "In Good We Trust: An Atheist Perspective on the Sources of Morality". You can read the text of the talk on my personal website.
Convention 2008
Minneapolis, Minnesota
21 - 23 March 2008
This was another great convention. I've posted a fairly lengthy report on the CVA blog.
Winter Solstice Meet 'n' Greet
Saturday, 22 December 2007, 12:30 - 5:00 p.m.
Clark, New Jersey
This was the national office's annual Yuletide party, a nativity-free way to enjoy the holiday season. I was there. Yet another good time in New Jersey, as we have every year.
Winter Holiday Display
Saturday, 1 Decebmer 2007
Vernon, Connecticut
Members of the Connecticut Valley Atheists affiliate erected a display on the Vernon Town Green. Traditionally there has only been a Christian display there. We would prefer no displays, but if they're going to get one, so are we.
Summer Solstice Party
Saturday, 23 June 2007, 1:00 p.m.
Vernon, Connecticut
This year's Solstice party was a great success. Thanks to everyone who came. If I counted right, we had nineteen people, not counting me and my family. What was especially nice about this event was that people from different parts of the state, who would usually only meet with others in their area, got to meet people from other parts of the state. We had partiers from Torrington to Norwich attending.
Convention 2007
Seattle, Washington
6 - 8 April 2007
The annual convention is always a great place to meet Atheists from all over the country, hear interesting speakers, and buy more books than you have time to read, and this one was no exception.
Winter Solstice Meet 'n' Greet
Saturday, 16 December 2006, 12:30 - 5:00 p.m.
Clark, New Jersey
This is the national office's annual Yuletide party, a nativity-free way to enjoy the holiday season. I was there. Another good time in New Jersey.
Summer Solstice Party
Saturday, 24 June 2006, 1:00 p.m.
Vernon, Connecticut
The third annual Connecticut American Atheist Solstice Party was a success. It rained for much of it, but we barbequed on my back porch, and all enjoyed ourselves.
Convention 2006
San Antonio, Texas
14 - 16 April 2006
Another great convention, with interesting speakers and lots of networking among activists. It was a chance to touch base not only with my fellow state directors, but with a wide variety of Atheists from all around the country.
Pledge Counter-Rally
left to right: Shane Hobart, Mark ?, Dennis Himes, Peter
Cushnie, Kevin Coon, and Laura Cook
Saturday, 5 November 2005, 12:00 p.m.
Milford, Connecticut
The Milford Knights of Columbus held a rally on Saturday 5 Nov. in support of the revised, exclusionary version of the Pledge of Allegiance (i.e. with "under God"). Mayor Richetelli attended. We held a counter-rally in support of the original, inclusive version.
The counter-rally was a success. There were six of us, five Atheists and a Christian who supports church/state separation. The Knights of Columbus rally was in the parking lot of the KofC hall, and had about 200 attendees. We were not allow to get close enough to hear the speeches (we were ordered off their private property), but stood on the sidewalk right in front of the parking lot holding signs. There was a lot less confrontation compared to last year's demo on the Milford Green.
There were reports on the rallies on channels 3, 8, and 61. 3 and 8 showed me giving our side of the issue and 61 showed Kevin Coon. I don't get channel 12, but apparently they had something as well. There were also articles in the New Haven Register, the Connecticut Post, and the Milford Review.
Summer Solstice Party
Saturday, 18 June 2005, 1:00 p.m.
Vernon, Connecticut
I had a solstice party again at my house in June. Once again a pleasant time was had by all.
Convention 2005
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
25 - 27 March 2005
I attended the 2005 American Atheists' national convention in Philadelphia. I was happy to see several members from Connecticut there. These conventions are a great opportunity to meet and hear members of the American Atheist leadership, as well as ordinary members doing their best to preserve freedom from religion throughout this country.
Protest in Milford
Milford, Connecticut
11:00 a.m., Sunday 19 December 2004
The demonstration in Milford was a success, at least in terms of getting attention. There were six people there on our side, five American Atheist members and a Christian passerby who supported our position. There were about many more people on the other side. I estimated 60, and I heard estimates from 100 to 250 in the media. There were maybe four or five TV crews and about as many newspaper reporters. I had made up signs saying, "Are there no church lawns in Milford?" and several other members brought signs of their own. I was handing out a copy of my official statement, reproduced on the Issues page, to anyone who would take one. There were several members of the Milford Police present who would separate us when things got too heated.
Some of the counter-demonstrators were polite and willing to engage in mannerly discussion. Many others were not. When I tried to read my statement I was drowned out by singing and shouting, which continued during my next TV interview, so that the TV crew and I had to back away and huddle together so the mike could pick us up. Later a local preacher said to the crowd, "I'm Pastor Loomer of the Borean Assembly of God Church, and even though I don't agree with these guys I think they should be heard. Are you willing to allow him to read his statement?" The assembled Christians shouted in unison, "NO!".
I watched the reports on channels 8 (ABC), 30 (NBC), and 6 (Fox). They picked essentially the same quote from my interview, saying that the creche gives the impression that Milford is a Christian city, which is unAmerican. 30 also showed me saying that we wouldn't be there if the creche were displayed at the church down the street.
The demo was also on the front page of both the New Haven Register and the Connecticut (Bridgeport) Post, which went into more detail.
Winter Solstice Meet 'n' Greet
Saturday, 18 December 2003, 1:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Clark, New Jersey
This is the national office's annual Yuletide party. I was there. There were more people than last year, about 80 or so.
Saturday, 19 June 2004, 1:00 p.m.
Vernon, Connecticut
I had a solstice party at my house in June for AA members. Several members came, and a pleasant time was had by all.
Pledge Rally
Monday, 14 June 2004, 6:00 p.m.
New Haven, Connecticut
We held a rally in front of the federal courthouse in New Haven to protest the Supreme Court's decision to overturn the Ninth District Court of Appeal's ruling that the addition of the phrase "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance is unconstitutional. The court did not rule on the constitutionality of the addition per se, it instead ruled that Michael Newdow did not have standing in the first place.
There were six of us there, five from American Atheists, and one from Humanistic Judaism of Fairfield County (who turned out to be an AA member as well). We held up signs, passed out fliers to passers-by, chanted, and spoke to the people hanging out across the street on the Green using the megaphone that somebody'd brought.
The only media people there were a reporter and a cameraman from Channel 61 (Fox) news, but they did a report on the rally on the evening news, which included some shots of us holding up signs, and a quote from me saying that overturning "under God" should have been a "no-brainer" for the Supreme Court.
Convention 2004
San Diego, California
9 - 11 April 2004
I attended the American Atheists' national convention in San Diego. The most interesting speakers, I thought, were Susan Blackmore and James Polichak, who debated the theory of memetics.
Once again, I think the real benefit I derived from the convention was in the informal conversations I had with activists from all across the country over the weekend.
Winter Solstice Meet 'n' Greet
Sunday, 21 December 2003
Clark, New Jersey
This was a Yuletide party put on by the American Atheist national office. I went. There were about 40 - 50 people there, mostly from the area. After the party most of us went to visit the national headquarters nearby.
Convention 2003
Chicago, Illinois
18 - 20 April 2003
I attended the American Atheists' national convention in Chicago (really Bloomingdale), Illinois.
I'm glad I did. I acquired a lot of useful information from the talks and the state directors' meetings, but the real benefit I derived from the convention, I think, was in the informal conversations I had with activists from all across the country over the weekend. I also met four members from Connecticut whom I hadn't known about before.